Dame Judi Dench admits she 'can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow' as she gives health update
Acclaimed actress Dame Judi Dench has admitted she is losing her memory and spoken about the diagnosis that is slowly robbing her of her sight.
Dench, who turns 91 today, was speaking during an interview with Radio Times magazine when she addressed the toll the disease macular degeneration is having on her, describing it "as a crusher".
The British actress, who has played everyone from Queen Victoria to James Bond's boss 'M' was diagosed with the incurable condition in 2012 and revealed it was now so severe she could not perform everyday tasks.
Dame Judi Dench has described her vision loss as a 'crusher'. Getty Images for BFI
Dench, who appeared in eight James Bond films, told Radio Times she could no longer see the faces of the people sitting close to her, noting the interviewer appeared to be "in a fog".
The age-related progressive disease has now entered its 'wet' phase, which causes rapid loss of central vision.
Dench said it meant she had been robbed of some of her favourite pastimes, including embroidery, reading and watching television.
"I miss seeing Clive Myrie doing Mastermind, but I can hear the questions," she said when asked what she missed most. "That's what it is now."
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Dench also admitted she was losing her short-term memory. Getty
Her diagnosis means she relies on a team of assistants to help her with everyday tasks.
She also admitted during the interview that her short-term memory was fading.
"I can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow, I swear to you," she said.
However, she can still recite long Shakespearean monologues and continues to learn lines with the help of her assistants, which she commits to her almost photographic memory.
During the interview, Dench revealed Pierce Brosnan, with whom she co-starred in a number of Bond films, stayed in touch and sometimes visited her at home.
Dench, seated, with her Tomorrow Never Dies co-star Pierce Brosnan. Dave Benett/Getty Images
She recounted the time he came for lunch and she had completely forgotten about the doormat that greeted him.
"The door was open, he looked down and there on the mat are the words, 'I've been waiting for you, Mr Bond'."
She was also asked if she had a celebrity crush before admitting she did, on none other than Johnny Depp.
Dench made a cameo in Depp's 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean.
She even has a framed memento from the movie in her home.
"Up there is a framed earring that he bit off my ear in Pirates of the Caribbean," she said.
"I had to sit in a carriage in Greenwich and they said, 'Johnny Depp will jump in through the window, give you a kiss and jump out'.
"He jumped in, but he didn't give me a kiss, he went for my ear and took my earring off with his teeth. And I said [disappointed voice], 'Is that it?'"
When asked if that was "a moment" for her she replied, "Well, of course. Johnny Depp, he's…" and fanned herself.
The actress, who is the subject of a new documentary, Judi Dench: Shakespeare, My Family and Me, said she was looking forward to spending Christmas with her daughter Finty, grandson Sammy and his girlfriend, Lizzie.
"If you are lucky enough to be together with the family, round the table, then that's what I like best," she said.
"A group of people talking, exchanging things and delighting in each other. There's nothing better than that."
It is the second time in as many weeks that Dench has addressed her macular degeneration diagnosis.
In November, she told Sir Ian McKellen during an interview for ITV News that she "can't see anymore".
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